Providing a synoptic look at the entire scope and vision of space exploration, this comprehensive reference covers the intercultural, artistic, and historical aspects of space travel as well as amazing new insights into where it might go in the future. All aspects of space technology are included in the guide, from how space can be used to deal with global warming to the latest in space tourism. Largely written in narrative form, the book assembles a variety of space experts -- from astronauts and astrophysicists to space zoologists -- to explain everything from human artistic achievement in space to the practical applications and business investment opportunities that space travel affords. Highly accessible, the reference draws authors from all over the world and is unique in its wide, thorough, and international approach to the subject of space exploration.

About the AuthorsDr. Joseph N. Pelton is the director of the Space and Advanced Communications Research Institute at George Washington University. He was chairman of the board and vice president of academic programs for the International Space University in Strasbourg, France; founding president of the Society of Satellite Professionals International; and executive editor of the International Academy of Astronomics. He is the author of more than two dozen books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Global Talk and Space Exploration and Astronaut Safety. He lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Dr. Angelia P. Bukley has more than two decades of professional experience in space and defense systems and is the acting vice president for research at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. She has worked at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and has published more than 70 technical publications. She is the coauthor and co-editor of Artificial Gravity. She lives in Tullahoma, Tennessee.